Apparatus for separating and recovering metalliferous compounds and gases from liquids.



F. L. WILSON. R SEPARATING AND RECOVERINQ METALLIFEHUUS COMPOUNDS AND GASES FROM LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED MAIL '9. I914 LEERQQ. Patented Jun. 11. 1916.

APPARATUS F0 WITNESSES INVENTOR. 7; suv/r A. Wmso 1%; ATTORNEYS.

35 ing said description.

FRANK L. WILSON, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING AND RECOVERING- METALLIFEROUS COMPOUNDS AND GASES FROM LIQUIDS.

Application filed March 18, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK L. VVILson, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Berkeley, Alameda county, State of 5 California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Separating and Recovering Metalliferous Compounds and Gases from Liquids, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for separating and recover-mg metallifcrous compounds and gases from liquors, such as ammoniacal liquors which are obtained in the reduction of Zinc, co

per, nickel and other ores.

The object of the invention is to provide a continuous process for separating and recovering the metalliferous compounds and 'gases from liquors obtained in the reduction of ores.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for accomplishing the continuous boiling out of the liquors and" the recovery of the metalliferous com pounds and gases.

that formof the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the pres ent specification. The novelty of the invention will be included in the claims succeed- From this it will be apparent that I do not limit myself to the showing made by said drawings and description and I may adopt many variations within the scope of my invention as set forth in said claims.

The drawing is an elevation of one form of the apparatus of thereof being broken away to reduce the size of the figure and to disclose the interior construction.

copper or nickel ores by the employment of ammonia and carbon dioxid, and permits of the continuous recovery of the ammoniacal gases and the metals in the form of basic carbonates and hydrates. By a continuous passage of the metal-charged annnoniacal Specification of Letters Patent.

my invention, parts.

Patented Jan. 111, 1916. Serial No. 825,685.

liquors through the apparatus, a large tonnage can be treated per day in a comparatively small apparatus and at a minimum cost. The metal-charged ammoniacal liquors are passed through the apparatus in one direction and the hot gases are passed through in the opposite direction and give up their heat to the liquors as they pass, so that the liquors are continuously raised in temperature as they pass through the apparatus and the gases are continuously lowered in temperature.

The apparatus consists of a battery of units, the removal of any one of which, will 111 no way delay or interfere with the con tinuous passage of the liquors or gases. The units are of simple construction, preferably cylindrical in design and are constructed so that the interior is readily accessible. They are made of suiiicient strength to withstand internal pressure and violent boiling and are provided with pres sure gages and gage glasses and: are covered with heat insulating material. passing from one still or unit to the other, the hot gases and vapors impart heat to the succeeding stills and the gases graduallyv take up an increasing percentage of am moniacal vapors until finally, when they emerge from the last or liquor receiving still, the gases contain most of the more volatile ammoniacal gases. In this manner the gases increase in value during their passage to the absorbers and the liquor decreases in ammoniacal value during its pas sage to the fixed-ammonia still.

I will first trace the flow of the liquor through the apparatus and then the flow of the gases or vapors. The ammoniacal liquor is first flowed into the charging tank 2 through the pipe 3, from which it passes through the pipe 4, equipped with a valve 5 into the still 6. From still 6 it flows through the pipe 7, equipped with a valve 8, to the pump 0, which forces it through the filter 12 and into still 13 through the pipe 14:. From still 13 it flows through the pipe 15, provided with a valve 16 to the pump 17 which forces it through the filter 18 and into the fixedammonia still 19 through the pipe 21, and the resultant liquor is discharged from still 19, through the pipe 22 which is provided with a valve 23, Each of the stills (3, l3 and '19 are provided with safety pressure exhausts 24,

gage glasses 26 and removable plates l'i'ias is also the recei'ving tank 2. The stills are preferably cylindrical in shape and are provided with cone-shaped bottoms 26, to facilitate the discharge of the precipitates formed therein. I p

Arranged in the fixed ammon a still 19 1s a coil oi ,pipe 27, the opposite ends 28 of whichextend through the wall of the still. One ot the pipes 28 extends to a boiler or other source of livehot steam and by passing the steam through the coil, the liquor in the still is caused to boil. The hot gases and vapors driven 'ofi' by the high temperature and ebullition pass through the pipe 29 and cent the bottom of still 6, whence they bubble 6, the gases pass through pipe 33 and down' pipe 34 which terminates adjacent the bottom 25,

up through the liquor in still 6. From still of tank 2, when they bubble up through the liquor therein and pass through the pipe 35 to suitable absorbers.

, In order that the flow of the gases and vapors may be controlled and regulated or shunted around any still, valves are arranged in the gas conductors. A valve 36 is arranged between still 19 and pipe 29 and a valve 37'is arranged between pipes 29 and 30. A valve 38 is arranged between still 13 and pipe 31 and a valve 39 is arranged between pipes 31 and 29. Ordinarily valves 37 and 38 are open and valve 39 is closed, but when it is desirable to cut out still 13, the valves 37 and 38 are closed and valve 39' is opened. Similar valves 41, 42 and 48 are arranged respectively between pipes 31 and '32, still 6 and pipe 33 and pipes 31 and 33 for similar reasons as are also the valves 44, 45 and 46 which control the passage of the gases and vapors into and out of the tank 2.'

In the event that it is advisable to introduce live steam into the stills as an aid to proper boiling, I have provided each stillat the bottom with two steam pipes 48 and 49, the pipe 49 preferably terminating in a down turned nozzle 51, so that the steam may be directed toward the discharge outlet.

liquor which is fed into the charging tank 2 is a strong ammoniacal solution and as the ammonia is driven off, the metals are precipitated in the form of loasic carbonates and hydrates: The vapors ente'ringtank 2 are not sufficiently heated to raise the temperature of the liquor sufficiently high to cause a precipitation of any material amount of basic carbonates or hydrates, but if any precipitation does occur, the precipitates may be discharged through the valve controlled pipe 52. The warmed liquor thenpasses into still 6, wherein its temperature is raised by the gases and vapors passing there'- The through, causing the separationof part of the ammoniaand the precipitation of part ofthe basic carbonates and hydrates. The liquor then passes through the filter 12, in which the carbonates and hydrates are removed and passes into still 13. In this still the hot gases and vapors maintain a temperature sufliciently high to drive 03 substantially all of the free ammonia from the liquor and precipitates substantially all of the basic carbonates and hydrates, which are. removed in the filter 18. The resultant liquor, which contains ammonia in a fixed or combined condition only, then passes into ;still 19. In this still, the temperature 1s higher than in the other stills and milk of lime is added at the point of most violent boiling, to free the fixed ammonia, if any is present, which together with the steam and scribed, a series of closed containers adapted to contain liquid, conductors connecting said containers in series arranged to convey the liquid from the bottom of one container to the top of the next, a filter arranged between each successive pair of containers, a steam coil arranged in the last container of the series and conductors arranged to convey the vapors formed therein through the other containers successively.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a plurality of stationary stills, conduits connecting the successive stills arranged to conveyliquid from one still to the other, means .for heating the liquid in the last still to form vapor therein, conductors 'partially inclosed in'said containers for conveying the vapor successively through the other stills and valves in said conductors whereby the vapor may be shunted past any of said other stills.

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a series of stills, conductors connecting the bottom of one still with the top .of the successive still, a pump and filter in each of said conductors, a steam ,coil in the last still arranged to cause the liquid therein to boil,a conductor. extending from each still into and'below the level of the liquid in the next preceding still and a charging tank for the stills through which the vapors pass. a

.5. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, a series of closed containers adapted to contain liquid, conduits connecting the successive containers and arranged to convey liquid from one to the other, a filter arranged between each successive pair of con- 10 ture to the said filters, and means for conveying the filtered liquid from the filter to the succeeding still.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Ingot, Shasta county, California, this 7th day of March, 1914.

FRANK L. WILSON.

In presence of- V GLADYS E. TURNER, GEO. GILMER. 

